November 1, 2023

Inside This Issue

Medical cannabis study reveals patterns of cannabis use and consumption.
Study tracks number of pharmacies participating in 340B drug pricing program.
Awards and Recognition: U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media; and more.

Medical cannabis study reveals patterns of cannabis use and consumption

Despite the increasing use of cannabis products for medical purposes, state programs do not currently have consistent guidelines for the use of the two most commonly used compounds—cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A study led by the University of Minnesota in partnership with Vireo Health looks to bridge this knowledge gap.

Study tracks number of pharmacies participating in 340B drug pricing program

For more than 30 years, section 340B of the Public Health Service Act has required drug manufacturers to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to certain safety-net hospitals and health care organizations that serve uninsured or low-income patients. A new School of Public Health study examines recent trends in the relationship between pharmacies and 340B-eligible covered entities.

Awards and Recognition

U in the News features highlights of University faculty and staff cited in the media.

Awards and Recognition

U-Wide News

Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Seed Grants

Plans to form a new Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Innovation Center (BBIC) within OVPR are underway, and the Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Seed Grants will connect PIs and their research teams with BBIC initiatives. The seed grants—six awards of up to $100,000 per year for up to two years—aim to stimulate research in several priority areas, including biofuels, decarbonization and carbon storage/capture solutions, and recycling/upcycling. Letters of interest are due Dec. 1; application opens Dec. 4; application due to approvers Jan. 16.

New toolkit: Understanding Medicare, Medicaid, and Hospice Benefits for Providers

Faculty and students in the health sciences are invited to explore a new Medicare policy toolkit from the Minnesota Northstar Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program, featuring lectures and a facilitator guide. This toolkit is designed to introduce learners to the structure of Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Hospice insurance programs provided by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and to help learners appreciate the perspectives of patients, providers, and payers receiving CMS services.

Nov. 3-10 - Training: Pivot funding search tool

Pivot is a comprehensive database of funding opportunities and collaborators that provides access to currently available research opportunities from a variety of funding sources (federal, foundation, private). The University has renewed its subscription to Pivot and is offering free, online training for the U of M community targeted to faculty/researchers and research administrators. Four training sessions will be offered.

Nov. 6-10 - University Compliance Week

The Office of Institutional Compliance has announced Compliance Week. The University Compliance Program works to promote a University culture that encourages ethical conduct and a commitment to compliance through awareness, recognition, and reinforcement.

New best practices for right-of-way areas could reconnect divided communities

When urban highway projects were built several decades ago, many thriving communities were physically divided. Since then, interest has grown in repairing and revitalizing these communities. U of M researchers explored one approach: redesigning right-of-way areas along highway corridors. The team identified best practices for equitable social, economic, and environmental outcomes.

Community teachers provide students with a deeper understanding of communication and teamwork

The Community Teacher program is a unique program and a rarity in the country. Through this experience, U of M health professions students get the opportunity to interact with real people in their community to learn about their experiences as a patient navigating chronic conditions in the healthcare system.

Research Brief: U of M study suggests even more reasons to eat your fiber

various fruit, veggies, and grains arranged on a table

Health professionals have long praised the benefits of insoluble fiber for bowel regularity and overall health. New U of M research suggests even more reasons we should be prioritizing fiber in our regular diets. See additional recent Research Briefs.

Talking later-life career changes with U of M

National Career Development Month this November is an opportunity to grow your skill set and reevaluate your job-related goals, whether you’re a new intern, seasoned professional, or someone who is interested in changing course later in your career. Kate Schaefers, director of the U of M Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, answers questions about how to navigate those later-life career transitions. See more editions of "Talking with U of M."

Crookston

Five U of M Crookston alumni honored at awards ceremony

Three former U of M Crookston student athletes were recently inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame, including Lisa (Rongen) Duckstad ’85, Randy Lee ’01, and Frederick “RJ” Rollins ’07. Two alumni, Tashi Wongdi Gurung (Lowa) ’13 and Amy (Loomer) Longtin ’99, were presented with the Abbey [Promise] Award and Outstanding Alumni Award, respectively.

Alumni feature: Janet Klatt

While growing up on a grain and dairy farm outside Grand Forks, ND, Janet (Klava) Klatt ’66 had the opportunity to attend the Northwest School of Agriculture to learn life skills that would help at home. Learn more about Klatt’s experience.

Duluth

100-year-old fish in the desert

Stuart Black displays a spectacular centenarian bigmouth buffalo

A study published in Scientific Reports found some of the oldest animals in the world living in a place you wouldn’t expect: freshwater fish in the Arizona desert. Research conducted by Alec Lackmann, assistant professor in the UMD Department of Mathematics and Statistics, and his co-authors revealed the exceptional longevity of the buffalofish. The research could open the doors to aging studies across disciplines, such as gerontology and senescence (aging) among vertebrates.

Nov. 3-11 - Sense and Sensibility

Poster of two women reading Sense and Sensibility

This imaginative 2017 adaptation of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility follows the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Dashwood sisters after their father’s sudden death leaves them financially destitute and socially vulnerable. Set in gossipy late-18th-century England, the UMD theatre performance is full of humor, emotional depth, and bold theatrics. Various showtimes, Marshall Performing Arts Center.

Nov. 7 - Visual Culture Lecture Series: Mathew Zefeldt

The November Visual Culture Lecture Series features Mathew Zefeldt, U of M associate professor of painting and drawing. Zefeldt paints constructed virtual worlds, like video games. Using brush strokes, he paints on walls, the ground, and the ceiling, representing images of computer-generated items, from video games to smartphone displays, icons, and special effects. His exhibition spaces become immersive installations. 6 p.m., 120 Solon Campus Center.

Morris

Schrunk Ericksen installed as Morris chancellor

In a festive inaugural ceremony on Oct. 26, Janet Schrunk Ericksen received the inaugural medallion from Interim President Jeff Ettinger and officially became the seventh chancellor for the University of Minnesota Morris.

U of M Morris computer science student team takes first at Digi-Key competition

The three-person U of M Morris “Team Phantom” placed first out of 19 teams at the 2023 Digi-Key Collegiate Computing Competition, held on Oct. 20. Team Phantom scored the most points by a large margin on the short-programming problem part of the competition. Another Morris team, “GPT-4 Pro,” placed fifth.

Nov. 6 - ‘Work, Life, and Love in the Digital Age’

Michelle Janning, Distinguished Visiting Professor in the Liberal Arts, will give a lecture entitled "Work, Life, and Love in the Digital Age." Janning will explore how technology impacts the boundaries between people's home and work lives, how digital and physical forms of intimate communication highlight contemporary values surrounding romantic love, and how the digitization of personal lives during COVID-19 has changed our understanding of the socially-constructed demarcation of public and private spaces.

Rochester

Research in health sciences education

Two UMR faculty presented research at the Best Practices in Health Sciences Education conference. Xavier Prat-Resina presented a poster titled “A new four semester chemistry curriculum for a health science degree,” and Amy Collins-Warfield presented a half-day faculty workshop, “Promoting self-regulating learning in health sciences students.”

Colleges of Distinction equity and inclusion recognition

Pink circle reading Colleges of Distinction Equity and Inclusions award

U of M Rochester has received recognition from Colleges of Distinction for its outstanding equity and inclusion initiatives and outcomes for undergraduate students. This award confirms UMR’s commitment to fostering a diverse, welcoming campus climate for all. These commitments include affinity groups, diversity dialogues, truth in racial healing circles, an Intercultural Student Center, and living learning communities.

Twin Cities

Submit textbook and course materials requests to University Bookstores and University Libraries

University Bookstores and University Libraries are accepting spring 2024 course materials requests. Early submissions can positively impact affordability. Request textbooks for purchase from University Bookstores, and Canvas reading lists containing articles, ebooks, and more from University Libraries. The libraries and bookstores partner to provide some ebooks required for courses at no cost to students. Email requests and questions to [email protected] (bookstores) and [email protected] (libraries).

Submit Living Labs project proposals

Living Labs are projects that have transformed otherwise un-programmed areas on campus into spaces for sustainability innovation, testing, demonstration, and learning. Selected proposals will be provided space on campus and guidance in facilitating project implementation. Seed funding may be available. Learn more, see project examples, and apply.

Take the campus transit survey

Contribute to the future of U of M Twin Cities transit through the campus transit survey. Feedback can help enhance campus transit for everyone. Survey participants will be eligible for prizes, including clothing and gift cards.

Staying on beat

llison Masters works on Tara the schnauzer during her pacemaker surgery

Richard Berg would watch with dread each time his 12-year-old schnauzer Tara would begin to wobble. Soon after the teetering began, she would faint. “I thought for sure I was going to lose her,” he says. As it turned out, Tara’s heart was the culprit, and she was treated through the implantation of a pacemaker. Tara is one of about 20 dogs that receive pacemakers each year at the Veterinary Medical Center.

Life in the uncharted waters of Greenland’s glacial melt

Despite being buried under a mile or more of ice, microbes eke out an existence at the boundary where the Greenland ice sheet grinds away at the ground. College of Biological Sciences graduate student Christopher Hansen says that what those microbes do could affect ocean ecosystems now and in a future postglacial world.

Nov. 6-10 - First-Generation Celebration Week

Join in a campus celebration of the success and contributions of first-generation students, faculty, and staff during First-Generation College Student Celebration Week. The week will include student panels, a keynote by Angela E. Batista, an annual group photo, and more.